Those darn ol’ Republicans are at it again trying to make abortions illegal in another state…it’s because they care so much for the little folk… Not
“Florida state Rep. Charles Van Zant (R) is starting 2012 with yet another radical effort to ban all abortions in the state unless the woman’s life is in danger. Declaring that “the Legislature acknowledges that all persons are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that first among these is their right to life,” the Florida for Life Act would essentially (and unconstitutionally) make it a felony to perform an abortion except when a physician meets very specific circumstances. The Florida Independent reports.”
This is all brought about by Evil Christian religion and ruthless sycophant politicians who don’t really care for their constituents. The British call them Arse lickers, some politely call them brown nosers, lackeys or toadies…I go along with the Brits.
Doctors would face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Raped or molested you say…tough sh_t.
And ‘we the people’ just bend over and take it with a smile. 😐
This coming Thursday, May 5th is this year’s “National Day of Prayer”
I’m wondering what the Christian expectations are for this day, because last years was such a bust…after all I don’t think ANY of the good prayers were answered.
I expect a few million were praying for world peace or at least that American troops would be out of harm’s way in Afghanistan and Iraq. From what I read, last year was the worst year of all for our troop deaths in the Middle East. Also we seem to be party to an intrusion into Libya, just what we need another way of getting our finest sons and daughters killed.
Other things on our plate last year and early this year was the oil spill in the Gulf, very high gas prices, nuclear meltdown in Japan, thousands dead from earthquakes, the tsunamis in Japan that killed many thousands (count still going on from what I understand). Africa is still losing tens of thousands of children to starvation and easily treatable diseases every year…there seems to be no end to this tragedy no matter what is done…by anyone.
America is suffering from record unemployment (as bad as the depression of the 1930’s), home foreclosures that put thousands of families on the street and welfare (this Republicans want to put a stop to). Our countries deficit because of the wars and the incredibly disgustingly greedy bankers on Wall Street, is so high most people can’t even comprehend the vastness of the effect it will have on our future.
Aids is still rampant and in many countries women are still subjugated and treated as 3rd. class property, and still raped by the tens of thousands with virtual impunity. Often they themselves get into trouble and are held responsible for their own rape. This is just int olerable…as humans we ought to be deeply ashamed that it still goes on.
The divorce rate in America has been hovering around 50% for years and years in America and seems to be impervious to prayer, and I have yet to hear of prayer affecting birth defects or limb amputations…our returning soldiers from the Middle East who have had legs and arms blown off by IED can’t seem to regrow those limbs no matter how hard they and their family pray.
So of the “good” prayers I imagine millions of people all over the country are going to make…will ANY of them get answered?
Today we humans do not consider it moral to wantonly kill people of other cultures, nor do we consider it moral to indiscriminately rape and savagely beat women and children, also we think slavery is an abomination that should be stopped at all cost. This behavior however was condoned by the Old Testament God. He purposely (if we are to believe the Hebrew goat herder writers) sent out Hebrew warriors to eliminate whole tribes and existing cultures of the land.
We do not do these things today because we have grown up as a people and culture. Most good people would not do these things the early Hebrews did even if a god said too. We have evolved a morality that far transcends the OT God. We properly value human life; women and children, and never want to see slavery in our lifetime. (Well, I think the Republicans want to see “wage slaves”…you know, about $1.00 per hour…so they can “*Compete.” (*make more profit))
Anyway I think most humans have a prior notion of what is moral and what is not. As Jerry Coyne says in his latest (4-22-11) blog post…“If you respond that God is good, and would never ask people to commit immoral acts, that too shows that you have a notion of morality that’s prior to God.” My emphasis
Mans concept of morality has constantly changed, unlike the imaginary God, who says himself that he never changes. In the 1950’s, in America, you could be sent to prison for a very long time if you practiced sodomy (this lingered on until the 80’s or 90’s in some cases), or even tried cunnilingus on your legally married WIFE. In New York recently a man was charged with Adultery of all things. The various churches & religions have tried to keep a long list of things as chargeable criminal offences both in the bedroom and everyday life, but we as a race and culture have finally started to grow up and realize that the Churches&Religions were/are pushing evil and poisonous worldviews.
One of the great attributes of the human mind is to be able to think logically and make good decisions; it’s too bad that so many Americans do not use that ability when they ponder religion.
Religion does NOT hold exclusive rights to the Morality card…we humans also have a very large share of it…always have.
Religion…its given people hope in a world torn apart by Religion–Jon Steward
Is the Bible the source of morality? Many people think not.
How can this book be an arbiter of morality when God advocates the killing of people for adultery, for disrespecting their parents, homosexuality, masturbation (or was that coitus interruptus), kidding old bald people…things we do not even consider crimes today. How does this morality stand up to the fact that God directed the Hebrews to molest, kill, rape (save the young virgins though), destroy, and enslave people, to bash babies against a wall, to run a sword through the abdomen of pregnant women? Whole tribes and cities…this is certainly Bronze Age human mentality at work…not a God.
There are countries around the world who don’t worship a Christian God and they have as much morality as anybody. Thinking back over the disgraced Christian church leaders and ministers, priests, etc., in Christian lands–they may have even more morality…and they certainly didn’t get it from the Bible.
Some of the countries who are lowest in religious belief are some of the safest places on earth.
The Christian God himself (if he were real, which is debatable) has committed inexcusably horrible, and depraved acts… that God is an utterly immoral being.
Morality does not necessarily flow from the Christian Bible, it has many other sources.
Did you know?
In California now the police can search your cell phone without a warrant if you are arrested. However if you put the cell phone in your cars glove-box or trunk they need a warrant to get to it. And, if you’re using an Apple iPhone of course that means your every movement for the last year is available to The Man. This countries getting more and more like a communist state. Seems the fourth amendment is going the way of first amendment freedom of speech.
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see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
So what kind of harassment do you want from your government the next time you fly somewhere? Do you want to add more damaging radiation ( your x-rays and some types of medical scanners add to your lifetime dosage of cancer causing radiation) to your body and the possibility that naked pictures of you will end up on the internet? Or would you like a smiling total stranger feeling around and on your genitals while the world looks on. How about the poor women who has been sexually exploited or raped…how is she supposed to deal with government sponsored genital invasion of her body? How about the women who have had breast surgery and have to show security guards their breasts because full body scans show an anomaly?
How long are we sheeple going to keep bending over for the government and their illegal shenanigans? I’ll bet we are going to see some “examples” made of a few people that protest too much to their TSA inquisitors.
I’ve quit flying anywhere until they start profiling Arab looking people like Israel does and stop the insane security measures that put you between a rock and a hard place…Cancer, or a stranger feeling you up.
Religion no excuse to get out of cancer causing full body scanning or genital pat down by TSA.Here
TSA chief John Pistole told the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday that passengers who refuse to go through a full-body scanner machine and reject a pat-down won’t be allowed to board, even if they turned down the in-depth screening for religious reasons.
Full Frontal Nudity Doesn’t Make Us Safer: Abolish the TSA, From: Forbes Magazine
Jimmy Carter has written an surprising article for the Guardian UK newspaper called “The words of God do not justify cruelty to women.”
In his article he lists why he is severing his 60 year relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention, which is their penchant for using the Bible as a tool of discrimination and sexism against women.
“I have been a practicing Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be “subservient” to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief – confirmed in the holy scriptures – that we are all equal in the eyes of God.”
He goes on to rail against the use of God and the Holy Scriptures, across many faiths, to justify abuses against women.
“The male interpretations of religious texts and the way they interact with, and reinforce, traditional practices justify some of the most pervasive, persistent, flagrant and damaging examples of human rights abuses.”
He quotes:
““There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)”
He further explains what the straw that broke the camel’s back was:
“…my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be “subservient” to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.”
Just think about how long and how far down the female has been held in chains for centuries. All denominations of the Protestant faith, the Catholic faith, the Muslims and Jews, and even the Hindu’s think of females as second class, unable to navigate the world without a male to help her. In many countries she is still property, she is sold into sexual slavery all over the world, she is raped and sexually mutilated without consequence; even in the US occasionally. She can be killed, often without consequence, in some countries…for “family honor.” In Saudi Arabia she is blamed and punished if she is raped or gang raped.
1 Timothy 2:11-16
“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” ***
This all comes from religion…religion enables cruelty–beyond measure–to women. It has to end sometime soon, and I applaud Jimmy Carter for taking one small step for womankind.
***Regarding 1 Timothy
“Fourteen epistles are said to be Paul’s; but we must at once strike off one, namely, that to the Hebrews, which does not bear his name at all…. The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus were certainly composed long after the death of Paul…. It is more than possible that the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians are also unauthentic, and the same suspicion rests, perhaps, on the first, but certainly on the second of the Epistles to the Thessalonians” (Bible for Learners, Vol. III, p. 23).
Anything in the bible that disparages women is put there by man. In the above case we don’t know who, but I’ll give you odds it wasn’t God.
God has a hissy fit. He still hasn’t learned to stay out of Hebrew affairs
Leviticus 26:27-34
” ‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.”
1 Chronicles 21:14
“So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.” These were innocents by the way.
Somehow I’m missing the love here.
Hosea 13:16
“The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. They will be killed by an invading army, their little ones dashed to death against the ground, their pregnant women ripped open by swords.” I think I’m going to be sick here. Are we seeing the love yet?
These, of course, are just a few of the scriptures that illustrate the love that courses throughout the OT part of the Bible. How people can read past these things and not be suspicious of the supposed God behind them is beyond me.
Is it any wonder that Paul, in his New Testament takeover, quickly steers the focus of the faithful away from this Old Testament Ogre, and into the different world vision of his supposed encounter with Jesus on the road (in a beam of light) to Damascus. Using the established OT world vision that many/most people of that culture were acquainted with, and building a new mythology, a new religion based on a kinder, gentler God image. Jesus…a God of Love…yea, that’s the ticket. Well, he didn’t really work out Jesus being God…that had to wait until the Catholics got into power. The early theology was a little rough and had to be tweaked a bit to make it more believable
I think Paul was looking around at all the religious fervor going on in his time, and got to thinking that if he could somehow meld the established OT religion (which Jesus was espousing) into the new mold of a milder spiritual personality that didn’t go around killing, raping, and torturing …he just might achieve lifetime employment for himself. The apostles didn’t seem to be doing much with their inheritance, why not fudge a little and scoop up this opportunity and run with it.
The concept of ‘original sin’ was pure genius on his part. Oh, the possibilities of this for sermons, placing guilt on the masses, and solidifying his place in history. A new concept that heretofore was not even thought of or mentioned in OT writings, or by Jesus, and he was able…by himself… to get it accepted by the theologians and common folk. What a guy.
A person who often replies to this blog…and me…are in a discussion on slavery in the Bible.
I feel that by condoning the practice in many places in the Scripture, the Bible is letting us know that Christianity and the Bible is not ‘Divinely Inspired’ or the actual work of a God.
For those who want to look it up, here are a few places to go:
Exodus 21:4-6 Guidelines for buying, selling, treatment, etc.
Deuteronomy 15:15-17 Handle your maid slaves
Exodus 21:7-9 Sell your daughters into.
Joel 3:8 Sell off your sons and daughters
1 Timothy 6:1-2 Masters are worthy of honor
Matthew 10:24 and John 13:16 Masters are better, maid slaves be submissive in ALL ways
Ephesians 6:5 and Colossians 3:22 ‘Slaves obey your master’
10 Commandments, numbers 4 and 10 recognize and therefore give tacit approval to slavery.
Matthew 8:5-13 Jesus heals Roman centurions slave while praising centurion.
Luke 12:47 Jesus recommends the beating of slaves.
Matthew 24-25 Jesus reminds slaves they are not better than their masters.
Neither the Old nor New Testament condemns slavery. By not condemning, there is tacit approval given.
There is Christian Apologetics out there that try to minimize what they were teaching and practicing.
It took secular leaders and common people to finally get together and condemned it. As you know a war was fought over it…surely a God would know this, and put a verse in the Bible to call Christians together to end slavery…never happened.
If you put yourself into the position of the writers of the Scripture and realize that they were brought up seeing slavery all around them. Their fathers and grandfathers and so on were brought up with the practice all around them. Some of them were slaves maybe. There was no thought that slavery is a BAD (unless you were one) thing…that a God would not allow it, or condone it. So they wrote slavery into the Bible as common everyday stuff.
One of the lines of apologetics for slavery follows:
I believe that yes…religion, God, and the Bible’s purpose IS to reform; not only society, but also man himself. This Bible is used all the time as an example to reform man and society. Jesus was set up to be a shining example of how a human should be.
So the Hebrews did not realize when they wrote their ‘holy text’ that slavery wasn’t normal, it wasn’t a Godlike thing to do, and a real God would not condone enslavement. This of course speaks to the Bible not being inspired by God, but written by man.
And lets not forget all those Old Testament babies being bashed against the walls, and the pregnant women being run through with a sword…at God’s direction. No amount of apologetics can explain these actions as the works of a loving God.
The only reasonable explanations for all of the carnage, rape, murder, torture, and slavery that is recorded by the old Hebrew scribes and Paul is…it is a product of human minds…not a God creature.
“Once there was a time when all people believed in God, and the church ruled. This time is called the Dark Ages.”
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